Pacific International Quilt Festival or PIQF

Geez, is it Thursday already?!  Where has this week gone?  I have been meaning to post about this since last Friday, but some freelance gigs have had to take first priority.  So here goes...Last week Santa Clara, CA hosted 17th annual (I think) PIQF from October 16th-19th.  I have never been to a quilt show or festival and decided that I would volunteer to man the San Jose Quilt and Textile Museum table on Friday morning and spend the afternoon wandering around the show.  Since this was the second day of the show, it was pretty busy all morning and we talked with a lot of people about our museum and during the slower periods we got to do some people watching.  Let me tell you these folks are very serious about quilting and all the accoutrements.  You would have never guessed there was a recession going on looking at the vendor sections of the show, people were of course buying fabric, but also big ticket items like super fancy sewing machines.  I got a kick seeing the glazed over happy face of many a person when they walked out with their new baby (insert fancy sewing machine).  I think we all have had a moment like this and I still remember the day I brought my Bernina home.

- I have a thing for peacocks and loved the colors used in this quilt.  Unfortunately, I totally forgot to write down any information about this beauty.

I didn't spend a whole lot of time looking at the vendors, it was way to crowded and I wanted to see the handy work of these quilters.  I took a quick stroll through the quilts, noting which ones I wanted to come back and look at closer.  There were all sorts of quilts there, from the very traditional (following older designs with historically correct fabric and made entirely by hand) to the very modern art quilt (original designs with all sorts of different types of fabrics/treatments and made with machine).  I was so very impressed with all the work that went into the quilts and wearable art that were on display, so I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you (there are more images on my Flickr set).  

-My Flower by Michiko Takakuwa, Japan.  Sorry for the chain in the picture and not being able to get the entire quilt in the frame, it was a big one 98" by 102".  The flower border that you see on the bottom was around all four sides of the quilt.

Well, my photography skills don't do this amazing quilt any justice.  It was entirely made of of 1/4" hexagons, there was a total of 182,172 pieces used to make this quilt!  It was hand pieced and hand quilted, such an amazing feat.  The 72 year old quilter that made this quilt lives on a farm in northern Japan and only quilts in the winter, when their farm is covered in snow.  This quilt took two winters to complete and this will be their last quilt made with such miniature piecing, because of weakening eyesight.  

- Close-up of My Flower, remember each of those pieces is only 1/4".

- Oppose by Marion Manson, New Zealand, 46 1/2" by 46 1/2".

I liked this one for the colors and fabrics used, and it playful design.  But once I read about it, I liked it even more, "This quilt explores the concept of opposites.  Yesterdays fabrics, rescued from Op Shops, in today's decorator colour scheme and retro style."  A quilter after my own heart, using thrift store fabric in some of my favorite colors!

- Close-up of Oppose.  All of the centers of the circles had sayings and poem stamped on them.

Here is my absolute favorite quilt and again my photography skills leave much to be desired (I also wish I had gotten the entire quilt in the frame).  

- Finale of Fireworks by Etsuko Iitaka, Japan, 83" by 78".

This quilter used antique kimono fabrics for this quilt and it was just gorgeous.  It did look like the finale of fireworks and wish I had gotten a better picture of it.  

I was very inspired to start quilting after seeing this show, but my quilting bug will have to be put on hold until I have some more time and less unfinished projects.  

Comments

[Catherine]

What a cool post this was! I loved looking at all the quilts and was so impressed with the work of these talented women - especially "My Flower", good grief! Unbelievable.

[Cindy]

Just one quick comment, these quilts were made by both women and men. I know several of the quilts in the show were made by men and there are many great male quilters.

As a female engineer, I was always offended by articles that assumed all engineers were male. I don't think we quilters should be making similar generalizations.

It was a great show, wasn't it?

[karen]

Those are just amazing! I'm so glad you shared them. I'm in awe of the teeny tiny pieces and I love the saying from the Op Shop Opposites quilt... (I wish we used the term Op Shop. It's so much better than THRIFT STORE.)

xoxoxo

[dolin]

Thank you all for your comments.

You are right Cindy. Not all quilters are women and I shouldn't have assumed that the above quilts pictured we all made by women. I will update my post. It was a great show!

[Feed Dog]

My Flower really was amazing to see in person. There were several people gathered round it when I stopped by, and we all agreed that it looked like a life's work--I don't know how she did it in two winters!

And thanks Cindy for reminding everybody about us guy quilters! A few of the overzealous PIQF shoppers seemed to think I was just getting in the way while carrying my mum's bolts....